A battery-driven device, which is powered by a battery, and a battery management system is disclosed in Japanese Patent JP 2007282471. Based on JP 2007282471 a memory element in the battery stores information that the battery is genuine. Further, the battery-driven device has a checker that performs a process to determine whether a battery connected to the battery-driven device is a genuine battery. Such a process may be referred to as “authentication.”
The battery-driven device authenticates the battery by reading the information from the memory element of the battery. When the battery is authenticated, the device permits a normal use of the battery-driven device. When the authenticated genuine battery is out of order, the use of the battery is not permitted. On the other hand, when the battery is not authenticated, the device notifies the user of the battery driven device that a non-genuine battery is being used. Further, the use of the non-genuine battery is permitted after notifying that the user uses the battery at his/her own risk.
In the conventional device, the use of the non-genuine battery is simply recognized and simply recorded by the battery-driven device. In other words, for a person other than the user of the battery-driven device, it is difficult to recognize that the non-genuine battery is used in the battery-driven device. In addition, only the battery-driven device records the use of the non-genuine battery.
Furthermore, the notice of the use of the non-genuine battery is provided for the user only from the battery-driven device, and it is solely left to the user whether the user stops the use of the non-genuine battery and switches the battery to a genuine one. As a result, the conventional device typically allows the user to continue the use of the non-genuine battery. In other words, it is difficult for the conventional device to effectively encourage the user to switch to the genuine battery.
The above-described problem may arise not only when the non-genuine battery is used, but, for example, when use of an illegally-acquired genuine battery is allowed, or when a use of an expired genuine battery is allowed. That is, the conventional device causes various problems due to the use of a “non-compliant” battery (i.e., a battery not compliant to a maker-specified requirement) such as a non-genuine battery, an illegally-acquired genuine battery, or an expired genuine battery.
In addition, a battery compliant to the maker-specified requirement may also be problematic when, for example, the battery is worn out. The use of such battery may be recognized based on use condition information. However, the conventional device cannot notify such a problem to a person except for the user.